Sometimes they sound surprised by the questions, but I’d rather be annoying than out thousands.
That’s honestly my vibe too. I just started looking into insurance and it feels like you need a law degree to understand half of it. “Acts of rodents” sounds like something out of a Disney movie, not a real reason to deny a claim. I keep picturing a squirrel in a tiny mask, just gnawing away at my deductible. Guess I’ll be that person asking the agent about every weird scenario... better safe than sorry, right?
I totally get where you’re coming from. I’ve been driving for over 20 years now, and insurance still feels like a maze sometimes. The “acts of rodents” thing cracks me up too—my neighbor actually had a raccoon chew through some wiring in his truck last year, and his claim got denied because it wasn’t covered under his policy. He was furious, but the agent just pointed to some tiny clause buried in the paperwork. It’s wild what they’ll use to get out of paying.
I used to feel awkward grilling my agent about every little scenario, but after seeing friends get burned by weird exclusions, I don’t hold back anymore. I once spent half an hour on the phone just asking about hail, tree branches, and even if a deer counts as an “act of God.” The agent sounded a bit annoyed, but hey, it’s my money on the line. I’d rather be a pain now than regret it later.
Honestly, I think the whole system is set up to be confusing on purpose. They know most people won’t read the fine print or ask about the oddball stuff. But those are always the things that end up happening, right? Like, nobody expects a squirrel to destroy their engine or a freak hailstorm to total their car, but it happens more than you’d think.
If you’re not sure about something, definitely keep asking. I’ve learned the hard way that “comprehensive” doesn’t always mean what you think it does. And yeah, better safe than sorry—even if you feel like you’re being a bit much.
That’s exactly why I started making a checklist before renewing my policy each year. I jot down all the weird scenarios I’ve heard about—hail, falling tree limbs, even stuff like catalytic converter theft—and just run through them with the agent. It’s awkward at first, but you get used to it. One time, I found out my policy didn’t cover flood damage unless I specifically asked for it, which was wild considering how many flash floods we get around here.
I do think some of these exclusions are buried on purpose. The language is so dense, and half the time you need a law degree to figure out what’s actually covered. It’s frustrating, but like you said, it’s your money on the line.
Curious—has anyone ever actually switched insurance companies because of a weird exclusion or denied claim? I’ve thought about it after hearing stories like your neighbor’s raccoon fiasco, but never pulled the trigger. Wondering if it actually makes a difference or if they’re all pretty much the same in the end...
Honestly, I get why it feels like all the companies are just playing “hide the exclusion,” but there’s actually a lot of variation if you dig around. I’ve seen people switch after a denied claim and end up with better coverage (and sometimes even lower rates, weirdly enough). The trick is to not just look at price—some of those budget policies are basically “good luck, hope nothing happens.” And yeah, the raccoon stories are wild... but I’ve seen weirder. One guy had a squirrel chew through his wiring and his policy actually covered it. Go figure.
It’s wild how much those exclusions can trip people up. Hail damage is a big one—lots of folks assume it’s covered, but unless you’ve got comprehensive coverage, it usually isn’t. I’ve seen people get caught off guard after a storm, thinking their basic policy would handle it, only to find out it’s not included. It’s not always about companies trying to hide stuff, though. Sometimes it’s just that the policy language is dense, or people don’t realize what “comprehensive” actually means.
Funny you mention the squirrel thing—rodent damage is one of those weird gray areas. Some policies treat it as vandalism, others as an excluded maintenance issue. It really does pay to read the fine print, or at least ask a bunch of questions before signing up. I’ve had clients who switched after a denied claim and ended up with better coverage for less, too. It’s not always about the cheapest rate... sometimes you get what you pay for, and sometimes you luck out with a company that just covers more weird stuff.
